Nursing outfit



April! 24, 195k LLE 2,550,034

NURSING OUTFIT Filed Dec. 19, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ABBA M ALLEN Attorneys April 24, 1951 A. M. ALLEN 2,550,

NURSING OUTFIT Filed Dec. 19, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 invemor ADDA M- ALLEN FIG. e0. fi

Y Afiorneys A. M. ALLEN NURSING OUTFIT April 24, 1951 S Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 19, 1946 FIG.

FIG. I5.

Inventor ADDA M ALLEN Attorneys Patented Apr. 24, 1951 NURSING OUTFIT Adda M. Allen, Arlington, Va., assignor to Disposable Bottle Corporatiom'washington, D. C.,

a corporation of Delaware .ApplicationDecember 19, 1946,=Serial No. 717,105

1 Claim. 1

The present invention relates to nursing outfits including nursing units of a type having a rigidneck ring withnipple-attaching means, and a plurality of disposable containers of thin, pliable, preferably transparent material such as that now on the market and commonly known as polyethylene.

The principal'object f the invention is .to provide such a nursing unit having a. minimum number of parts to be washed and sterilized, said parts being of simple design and free of crevices or pockets in which bacteria might flourish. In connection with the preceding objective, I seek to provide a nursing unit or combination of extremelysimple design which is easy to fill and use.

Iti-salso an object of the invention to provide .a .nursing unit of the above type which, when filled, is capable of convenient adjustment on a fiat surface or on a pillow or the like, to present thenipple upwardly when not in use, .and downwardly-to the infants mouth in the natural position for nursing, when in use.

Various other objects and advantages of the equipment disclosed herein will be apparent after consideration of the following description, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a neck ring of the nursing unit which constitutes an important part of the invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through theneck ring of Figure 1.

Figure 3 .is a bottom plan view of the neck ring .as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figures 4 and Sam side elevational views indicating the manner in which the pliable container is applied to or stretched over the skirt of the neck ring.

Figure 6 is a furtherside elevational view of the nursing unit, showing the manner in which the contractile clamp of the combination is applied to the assembled container and neck ring the filled nursing unit, illustrating two positions the neck ring may assume.

Figure 13 is a vertical sectional view through a modification of the invention, showing the manner of use of a contractile clamp to secure a pliable container to a neck ring or band which comprises a part of the nipple.

Figure ii is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line l4-I4 of Figure 13.

Figure 15 is a partial vertical sectional View through a modification of the nipple arrangement shown in Figures 13 and 14.

Figure 16 is a partial side elevational view of a clamping device which may be employed with the equipment illustrated in Figures 13 through 15.

Throughout Figures 1 through 12 the nursing unit of the present invention is disclosed in its full size as now constructed in order to clearly convey the convenience and advantages of the invention. The neck ring shown in Figures 1 and 2 is designed to avoid the presence of all corners and crevices which might be difiicult to clean. The entire nursing unit is designed with the idea in mind of reducing to a minimum the number of parts which mustbe cleaned and sterilized between feedings. In the present invention, aside from the ordinary nipple of rubber or the like, the parts to be re-used comprise simply the neck ring and the contractile clamp. Theneck ring may be made of some light metal suchas aluminum, or of plastic of various compositions and colors. It is important, however, that this material be such that the various surfaces can be ground or polished to a smooth condition, in order to make the device more convenient in assembly, and facilitate the cleaning thereof.

The neck ring R has an enlarged outwardly extending rim it, a forwardly extending neck 12, and a rearwardly depending skirt portion 14 to which the open edge of the container is atcentral opening it" which connects with a'cavity 22 within the neck ring. Thecavity .22 has smoothly rounded walls 24, with no corners or time each cut is made.

ledges therein, so that material cannot collect along surfaces which are in contact with the formula.

The outer clamping surface of the skirt l4 may be smoothly formed to taper inwardly toward the axis of the neck ring, and I have shown said surface as comprising a substantially cylindrical portion 36 extending for about half the depth of the skirt, which portion merges into an inwardly tapered or curved portion 32 which terminates in a rearward edge 34, the latter being annular in form and surrounding the interior cavity 22.

The pliable container C is of a type referred to in detail in my co-pending application Serial No. 710,744, filed November 19, 1946, being made of a thin yet tough, pliable, transparent, retractable material now well known as polyethylene. While the said disclosure of said application Serial No. 710,744 is made a part hereof, it may be stated that the material is preferably so thin as to be termed film-like such as on the order of .001" in thickness, so that it will retract into the interior of the neck ring or nipple as the contents of the container are withdrawn by nursing action, whereby no air may collect within the container.

As new manufactured, this container comprises a tube of very light and thin transparent, retractable material which, when filled, has its form distorted by the liquid contents, and which will then assume the shape of the surface on which it rests. When the contents are removed through the nipple by the nursing of an infant, this material permits the container to retract and follow the contents. It will be understood that after such a container is assembled to the neck ring and sealed thereto as hereinafter de scribed, air is initially expelled through the opening in the nipple by pressure applied to the container. Thereafter, in use, the nipple will lactate freely and the thin material of the container will follow the formula or contents up into the cavity 22 of the neck ring, thus avoiding the presence of any air within the container.

As now manufactured, the container C is of tubular sleeve-like form having pressed side edges such as at 36 providing two plies of material which form the opposite sides of the container. In any suitable manner the two plies are sealed or bonded together as by pressure and heat applied at 38 (Figure 4), at spaced points along a length of the tubular material. When bag units thus formed are to be used, a cut is made as at 46 just below each bond, so that the resulting containers or bags have a bottom closed along a transverse line as at 38 and an open top comprising edges which are formed at the The present invention is intended to utilize containers made in the manner just described, but it will be understood that this method of making the containers is not applicants invention.

The open edge 48 of the container is so designed as to be substantially equal to the maximum diameter of the skirt of the neck ring whereby when the open end of a container bag is presented to the neck ring, as shown in Figure .over the skirt until its forward edge 40 contacts the abutment 24 which constitutes the rearward face of the rim 16.

After a container bag has been applied to the neck ring in the manner shown in Figure 5, a clamping member L of contractile type is placed around the open end of the container and around the skirt of the neck ring, as shown in Figure 6. In order properly to position the clamp, it will be found convenient to press the body of the container in folded or wrinkled condition into the cavity 22 of the neck ring, afterwhich the clamp can be passed over the skirt of the neck ring, as shown in Figure 6, until its inner edge is substantially in contact with the ledge 24 of the rim Iii. Thereafter, the clamp is contracted, and by reason of the even and continuous inward radial pressure which it applies, the open end of the container is effectively sealed to the neck ring.

In my earlier application, Serial No. 672,474, filed May 27, 1946, which matured as Patent No. 2,517,457, dated August 1, 1950, of which the present application is a continuation-in-part, means for ensuring the seal just described was provided by having a soft gasket surface of rubber or the like on the neck ring or by having a rigid neck ring exteriorly surrounded bysuch a yielding surface against which a tight seal could be formed. In the case of the embodiment now being described, the gasket or sealing surface is provided on the contractile clamp itself, so that said clamp will yieldingly and radially embrace the skirt of the neck ring throughout its entire perimeter, thus forming a continuous and tight seal around said skirt. Broadly viewed, the arrangement comprehends a pair of surfaces, one rigid and one contractile, between which the open end of the container bag is clamped, one of said surfaces having a, lining or covering or insert of gasket material to insure the seal.

The contractile clamp comprises a substantially circular band 44 of metal or such as plastic interiorly lined with a gasket or ring of rubber or the like 46, the free ends of said band having cooperating mechanical means to contract same' around the neck ring. This means comprises a latch 4i ivoted as at 48 between the ears of a bail 56, the latter being pivoted as at 52 to one end of the band 44, and one end of the latch 41 being pivoted as at 54 between ears 5%, carried by the opposite end of the band 44. As shown in Figure 10, one free end of the band 4 5 is, provided with a central slot 58 to receive a central extension 66 on the opposite end of the band when the clamp is contracted, and it will be understood that the gasket material 48 will be present on or applied to the extension 66 as well as the surfaces of the band on opposite sides of slot 58, in order to make the gasket of the clamp continuous throughout its interior surface. The general construction and operation of this contractile clamp is described in detail in my copending application, Serial No. 710,744, previously referred to, and such disclosure is made a part hereof by reference. In general, and referring to Figure 9, the clamp is contracted or closed around the skirt by pulling the locking member 4'! in a clockwise direction around its pivot 54, and the clamp locks itself in contracted condition when it assumes a past dead center condition as referred to in my co-pending application just mentioned.

After the container has been applied to the neck ring, as shown in Figure 5, and clamped in the manner shown in Figure 6, the container is filled with formula in the usual Way through its top opening 20. Thereafter, the nipple N is pulled over the bead I8, and the device is ready for nursing, it being at this time desirable to expell all air from the container through the opening in the nipple by squeezing the container C until no air is present. During nursing, the thin pliable bag or container is drawn forwardly by suction as the formula is taken through the nipple, until, at the termination of the feeding, the container has been drawn substantially entirely within the cavity 22 in the neck ring.

Referring to Figures 11 and 12, it will be obvious that the container assumes a length considerably greater than the lengthwise dimension of the neck ring. In fact, the length of the pliable container, when filled, is at least twice as long as the longitudinal dimension of the neck ring, so that, as shown in Figure 12, the filled assembly is substantially supported by the pliable, filled bag, rather than by the neck ring itself. Because of this arrangement, and assisted by the curved or inwardly bent guiding surface 32 of the neck ring, the assembly can be selectively arranged as in Figure 11 with the nipple N presented upwardly at an angle when not in use to prevent contamination of the nipple. Under these conditions, the neck ring is resting with its tapered surface 32 contacting the flat surface S.

Due to the pliability of the filled container and the dimension and construction of the neck ring, the nipple N can be presented downwardly, during the nursing period. In Figure 12 the device is shown restin on an object such as a pillow P, and near the edge of said pillow. In this case, the infants head might be on the bed beside the pillow so that it would be desirable to direct the nipple downwardly to present same to the infants mouth. This can be conveniently accomplished by simply turning the neck ring downwardly so that the container will fold as at 60, the rim of the neck rin resting against the surface of the pillow or other object, but with the center of gravity of the neck ring positioned forwardly of the contact point of the rim, rather than rearwardly of said point asin Figure 11.

In my earlier application, Serial No. 672,474, now Patent No. 2,517,457, I disclose a similar means for connecting the open edge of such a container to a rigid neck ring which constituted either an integral or detachable part of a nipple assembly of a particular type. Referring to Figure 13, the nipple 62 has an integral rim bent outwardly back upon itself to form two walls 64 and 66 of rubber or the like, spaced from one another, into which the rigid band 68 is inserted. The open end of the container is drawn upwardly around this rigid neck thus formed, and clamped thereto by the contractile clamp 18 of the type disclosed. In such a construction the yieldability desirable for an effective seal is provided by material on the exterior of the neck ring, rather than on the interior of the clamp, as described in connection with the principal embodiment herein. It will be understood that the particular arrangement for providing rigidity for the neck ring, as disclosed in Figure 13, is not essential, there being obvious variations of this construction, as shown in Figure 15, wherein the rubber rim [4 has a rigid neck ring 16 of metal, plastic or the like embedded therein as an integral part thereof. With the above constructions a more simple clamp may be employed as shown in Figure 16, and comprising the parts 80 and 82, as described in my co-pending application Serial No. 672,474, now Patent No. 2,517,457 referred to.

It will be apparent that the invention provides,

a simple and cheap nursing outfit which can be maintained completely sterile during use. The clamp and neck ring are of simple and cheap construction and can be kept clean and sterile without inconvenience. The container bags are cheap and disposable, and are produced in tubular form described under sterile conditions. When sealed or bonded as at 38, the surfaces which contact the formula are completely sealed off within the bonds 38, enabling them to be stored or transported with these surfaces completely closed off from the air.

Throughout the specification, I have referred to the material from which the container is made, by its well known chemical name Polyethlyne. It is sometimes referred to in the abbreviated form as Polythene. There are several of such compounds now being manufactured commercially, and a general disclosure of the characteristics of the material is contained in the trade magazine Modern Packaging of September 1946, pages -l34, and 166, 168 in an article entitled PolyethlyneA New Plastic and a New Material for Packaging, by Dr. J. W. Shackleton of the Technical Service Division, Plastics Department, E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Co., Inc., Arlington, New Jersey, which disclosure is made a part hereof by reference insofar as needed to advise those skilled in the art of the type of material which will function in the manner referred to in this specification. It will be understood, however, that other similar materials may likewise be employed.

I claim:

In a nursing assembly a nursing device of rubber or the like comprising a nipple portion and a rim portion integral with said nipple portion, said rim portion being of substantially U-shape in cross-section forming an outwardly presented open annular channel, a removable annular band of rigid material inserted into said channel providing rigid support for said rim portion, a disposable container bag of thin retractable pliable material having a closed end and an open end surrounding said rim' portion in closely embracing relation, and a contractile pressure ring surrounding the open end of said container and said rim portion and compressing the open end edge area of the container material inwardly against said rim portion, said supporting band providing the necessary rigidity whereby the rubber of said rim portion and the end edge area of said container may be pressed together in sealing relation.

ADDA M. ALLEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 554,071 Matzen Feb. 4, 1896 560,984 Funk May 26, 1896 2,002,718 Roselle May 28, 1935 2,110,928 De Buys Mar. 15, 1938 2,113,411 Zoke Oct. 18, 1938 2,338,145 Webb Jan. 4, 1944 2,383,230 Voke Aug. 21, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 53,334 Switzerland Feb. 4, 1896 515,529 France Nov. 26, 1920 

